There may come a time when you might have to have a tooth extracted. While this is not something you want, it could be needed due to decay or other oral health issues. The space where your tooth once was can be replaced with a dental implant as long as there is no bone loss. If there is, your Leawood, KS, dentist can perform a ridge augmentation treatment to help rebuild the bone, which will help with the placement of the implant as well as address any aesthetic issues that have occurred after the extraction.
Is Ridge Augmentation A Common Procedure?
Yes, it is a routine treatment following an extraction. Its goal is to give back your gums and jaw their natural shape if there has been bone loss. What surrounds the roots of your teeth in your jaw is called the alveolar ridge. After a tooth is extracted, there is an empty socket left there in the bone. That area starts to shrink after the tooth is gone. It changes in size quickly, with up to 60 percent of its width and up to 40 percent of its height lost during the first year. It often heals naturally, with tissue and bone filling the space. But sometimes, the bone around the socket breaks, and it cannot heal properly. If this happens, the socket’s height and width will deteriorate. Implants need bone in order to support them. Ridge augmentation can help with this support.
How Is The Procedure Done?
The augmentation treatment is accomplished by using graft material and putting it into the empty tooth socket. Your gum tissue is then placed over the socket before being sutured. After the healing process is complete, which, depending on the situation, can last anywhere from six to 12 months, the ridge is prepared for implants or a different dental restoration. The procedure is performed in the office, and patients are given local anesthesia. Oral sedation can be provided, too, if requested.
What About Expansion?
Sometimes, a patient may need a ridge expansion. This treatment is performed to prepare for dental implants going into a jaw that is not wide enough to support them. During the expansion, bone is divided with graft material placed in to encourage new growth. While an implant can sometimes be placed immediately after expansion, there is often a healing process of four to 12 months.
Contact Us To Find Out More About Augmentation
Are you concerned about bone loss after having a tooth extracted? We can answer your questions and provide treatment. To learn more, schedule an appointment with us by calling Dreem Dentistry in Leawood, KS, today at 913-681-5500. We also serve patients who live in Overland Park and all surrounding communities.
